I frequently travel solo, but this time, I was a bit reluctant to go alone on this trip (not for safety reason, but mostly because it has been a while since I traveled), yet this was the best thing that I did. My first trip to Istanbul felt like a gentle insistence to slow down in the best way.
For 6 days I wandered with a camera and a deliberately loose plan: flights and transfer booked, limited research (I had done last year as I was supposed to go if the war hadn’t erupted), and many recommendations from my bestie Maya who later was helping my day to day plans where also my sweetest Aicha stepped in and helped me ALOT.
The days settled into a lovely rhythm of cafés, small galleries, ferry crossings and the kind of tiny, sharp moments, a tiled doorway, a steam of coffee, a golden-hour silhouette that keep landing on repeat in my head.
This post blends diary and guide; the soft, sensory moments and the practical tips I used. All the places that are mentioned are also saved in my Instagram highlights , so you can tap through photos and short clips as you read. I also shared daily vlogs on my TikTok and summary posts on my Instagram and FB!
Quick practicals (if you’re skimming)
- Dates: 3-8 October
- Airline: MEA
- Transfer: pre-booked taxi (recommended on arrival)
- Hotel: Pera Hill Hotel — NOT recommended (hygiene and comfort issues as you can read in my review)
- Transport: get an Istanbulkart at the airport or metro kiosks; it works on tram, metro, funicular, ferry and bus. The T1 tram links Sultanahmet, Eminönü and Karaköy, while the M2 metro serves Taksim and connects to other lines; Marmaray connects the European and Asian sides under the Bosphorus
Day 1: From slow mornings to artistic afternoon
After a smooth flight and transport to the hotel, I went straight to Mornings in Pera ; a soft, small-pocket café that sets a calm rhythm for the lanes of Pera. Later, my friend Aisha joined me for lunch at Ficcin , a plate-forward Anatolian spot that felt honest and immediate. Under the light rain, we enjoyed a walk in Istiklal street (M2 metro Taksim station and the F1 funicular to Kabataş) which evolved from a 19th-century European-style avenue into Istanbul’s busiest pedestrian axis, full of historic buildings, cinemas, bookshops and the nostalgic red tram.
And a little walk to Taksim square (Taksim Square -M2 metro or Karaköy → Tünel); which was once a water-distribution reservoir site, it became a modern city hub and transport node.
Our afternoon belonged to craft; I was lucky to be in Istanbul at this time as many cultural activities where happening around the city, among which Hermès in the Making an exhibition about the slow, precise work of a maison. I left thinking about stitch, time and how things last.
I wandered back to Pera and let me tell you that it is a mood; expect cleaner streets, a whisper of old-cinema glamour, tailored shops, and the stubborn charm of old posters (walk from Istiklal or Taksim). It is the historic, cosmopolitan quarter (today’s Beyoğlu), a 19th-century hub of embassies, cafés and art salons. Make sure to stop by the Pera Palace Hotel which was built in 1892 to host Orient Express passengers and remains one of Istanbul’s most famous historic hotels. You can book the teatime in the lobby, have breakfast in the bakery or reserve in the restaurant.
Later I walked toward Galata (walkable from Karaköy; tram/funicular to Karaköy then up) and the atmosphere changed: stone alleys, small artisan shops, and the Galata Tower that punctuates the skyline. A medieval Genoese tower built in 1348, Galata Tower watched over the northern entrance to the Golden Horn for centuries; it was later used as a watchtower, prison and now a museum/observation point.
During my visit, a limited projection lit the tower at dusk, an ephemeral, cinematic moment where the city itself felt like story.
Day 2: when art meets fashion
Morning light at Minoa Pera felt like an invitation to wander and what is better than a coffee shop that doubles as a hige library and restaurant! I continued after to Nişantaşı’s streets to explore this famous shopping district and many Biennial pop-ups woven between designer windows; a small fusion of high fashion and art-house restlessness. (I took the metro from Sishane stop towards Osmanbey stop).
I stopped for a quick brunch stop at Grandma Bakery and the not to be missed Hafiz Mustafa for a sweet stop.
I moved in the afternoon to Galataport; Istanbul’s ambitious waterfront transformation (I took the Metro towards the galataport stop). The promenade reclaims the Bosphorus edge with sleek public space, restaurants and cultural venues built into old dockland. It’s a pleasant public room: people watch, ferries pass, and the scale feels more civic than purely touristic. From Galataport, I walked to Karaköy; here the city wears its layers plainly: old-fish stalls and fishmongers, street art, tiny galleries, and minimal cafés. For dinner I kept to simple local comforts: Karaköy Çorba Evi for soup and Meşhur Balık for grilled fish wrap. It was time to live the memes of how 5 minutes on google maps in Istanbul means a very steep hill walk and rainy weather was the cherry on top!
Day 3: Colorful houses and peak views
Coffee at Bravo Roastery set the day’s pace before heading to the colorful Balat; a layered, colourful neighborhood on the Golden Horn with Greek, Armenian and Jewish heritage and famous for painted houses, narrow streets and old churches. (I took the metro to Halic stop then T5 to Balat) It holds memory in its wood-front houses and faded walls. I explored the famous colored houses to İsmail Ağa Camii, the Rumi makam, and checked the St. George (the Greek Orthodox Cathedral), where carved stone and liturgy anchor another thread of the city’s history.
I wandered around random small galleries which dotted the lanes; and luckily the Biennial’s reach made itself felt here, in the quiet surprise of a new installation between an old bakery and a tailor. Later I took the same tram T5 to Eyupsultan teleferik stop and I walked all the way up ( you can take the teleferik) to Pierre Loti; the hill named after the French writer who loved the view, where the Golden Horn opens in a mezmerizing scene. You can sit and enjoy the view with a cup of tea in hand and forget the stressful life for a moment! Down the hill, I prayed in Eyüp Sultan Camii; a major Ottoman-era pilgrimage site (site of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari’s tomb) and historically linked to sultanic ceremonies. I took the T5 back to Halic stop then took the M2 to Sishane stop and spent the evening in Cihangir, wandering galleries and small vintage shops, and returned to eat at Reyhun, known as the BEST persian restaurant in Istanbul.
Day 4: Moonlit Ferries
After a morning cup at Kronotrop , I took the ferry across the Bosphorus from Karakoy (you can pay with your Istanbulkart and there is a ferry every 30 minutes or so) to the Asian Side. While Kadıköy and Moda are creative, café-filled neighbourhoods; Üsküdar has historic mosques and quiet shoreline promenades (unfortunately I didn’t have time to explore it).
Kadıköy felt lived-in and local markets, murals, independent bookshops and real neighborhoods that work and play. I explored with Aisha the vintage shops and had a quick stop for lunch at Kuff which was wholesome and filling! We continued the walk to Moda, where we had the BEST tiramissu at Boac for a sweet end of a great day well spent with discoveries and lovely moments. The day couldn’t have ended better with the ferry cross between sunset and a breathtaking full moon rise!
Day 5: Domes & Bazaars
The morning fix at Muz Coffee with the most delicious yogurt bowl fueled me for a long day that started at Sultanahmet ( I took T2 from Karakoy to Sultanahmet stop). Here the city pauses under domes: Hagia Sophia’s cavernous history, the Blue Mosque’s patterned hush, and the old Hippodrome’s obelisk and columns. I had the chance to pause and pray in both. Hagia Sophia (built AD 537 as a Byzantine cathedral) and the Blue Mosque (early-17th-century Ottoman imperial mosque) form the heart of historic Constantinople, these buildings shaped religious, architectural and political history for centuries. I knew later from Samira that the actual blue mosque for the Turkish people is another one and I am eager to discover it next time. I also missed exploring the cisterns. I walked after to the Grand Bazaar; it is insistent and deliciously chaotic. It’s not just shopping; it’s a long, sensory conversation that I enjoyed having with the shop owners and obviously I bargained! I took the tram back to Karakoy and had a quick stop at Namli Gurme for a breakfast for lunch experience, and some retail therapy a Istiklal street later to end the day.
Day 6: Courtyards & Quiet Glory
I saved the best for the last; Topkapi palace was the principal Ottoman imperial residence and administrative centre from the 15th to 19th centuries; a complex of pavilions, courtyards and the Harem. (Tram T2 from Karakoy to Sultanahmet stop). Between the imperial collections, the treasury, the Seraglio gardens and iconic Bosphorus views from the palace terraces, I was transported in Topkapı’s rooms; I spent hours moving between courtyards and collections; but mostly my heart was filled with joy and gratitude seeing the holy relics: devotional objects, calligraphic reliquaries and textiles that hold the world of faith. I was there before the opening hours and bought the ticket using my card, it saved me time and skipped the long lines that started later.
A last caffeine stop at Espresso Lab and late lunch at Mornings in Pera, with a quick visit to Salt Galata to seal the trip with an artful punctuation.
Istanbul has stolen a piece of my heart and I barely scratched the surface. There are still countless lanes, cafés, areas and sites that I am yet to discover. This city hums with history and surprise; it’s the kind of place that keeps you curious, camera in hand and planning the next trip before you’ve even left.
Logistics & Notes (Istanbul essentials)
- Istanbulkart: buy and top up at metro/tram kiosks. It’s the pass for everything practical (tram, ferry, metro, buses).
- Tram & Metro: use T1 for Sultanahmet ↔ Karaköy ↔ Kabataş; T5 and the newer lines reach Balat and Eyüp areas. Ferries run often and are a pleasant way to see the city from the water.
- Taxis & transfers: prebook an airport transfer or use official stands. I prebooked mine and recommend the same for night arrivals.
- Walking: cobbles and hills; shoes matter.
- Cultural notes: modest dress at mosques, take shoes off where required, keep a small scarf for quick cover. Respect local prayer times when visiting mosque courtyards.
Istanbul is a city that unspools itself slowly. My week stitched together craft, devotion, markets and the soft electric hum of neighborhoods. I met people in shops and galleries and those small human details are the pieces I’ll return to when I think of the trip.
For anyone nervous about travelling solo; bring curiosity, not fear. Travelling alone gently pushes you to meet people you wouldn’t otherwise: a chat at a café turns into a local tip, a shopkeeper’s recommendation becomes your favourite alley. You also get to explore more freely, linger where you love, change plans on a whim, and follow the light without compromise.
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XOXO
La Petite, Hanine
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